


Vagrants

by Azuremosquito



Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Zombies, M/M, Zombies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-22
Updated: 2015-06-24
Packaged: 2018-03-31 16:15:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3984559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azuremosquito/pseuds/Azuremosquito
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dragon Age modern AU with a zombie twist. </p>
<p>Garrett Hawke is about to head off and spend a week camping when he catches a news report detailing violent attacks and a strange disease going around. Deciding to delay his trip long enough to check in on his younger siblings, Garrett detours to Kirkwall and finds the roadway blocked by a horrific accident. He finds out very quickly that this disease is a bigger problem than everyone initially thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_“—authorities warn anyone who encounters someone covered in sores and blood to keep their distance. Do not engage. I repeat, do not engage. Contact authorities immediately, even if it’s someone you know—”_

Garrett shook his head in disbelief as he stared at the small television set in the corner. Only a few people were paying attention to it, the rest absorbed in their coffee and conversations. He could barely make out the reporter’s words over the comfortable buzzing atmosphere permeating his favorite coffee shop.

Garrett didn’t feel comfortable now.

In fact, he felt distinctly ill at ease as he watched news footage unfold of a violent attack in broad daylight that left one person dead and two critically injured. Police had been forced to take aggressive action to bring the attacker down and no one knew what had set him off. He had gone after them with his bare hands, not even using a weapon.

Friends and family had identified the young man as a cheerful, hardworking college student on break for the holidays, in town visiting loved ones. He hadn’t been feeling well for a few days, but he hadn’t even known the people he’d attacked. They were complete strangers. Now he was dead and couldn’t answer the questions on everyone’s minds.

And this hadn’t been the only incident. 

Reports had been cropping up everywhere in the last few days, and while most dismissed it as the media fearmongering to boost their ratings, Garrett wasn’t so certain. It was too widespread, too frequent, and too deadly. Always in heavily populated areas, always with the same story. A person not feeling well, and then snapping and killing people. Often innocent victims who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

He liked fiction stories as much as the next guy but this was hitting too close to home. Worse, the most recent sightings were happening not far from here, the next town over. Where his two younger siblings lived.

He strained to hear the rest of the news report about this latest attack, leaning forward in his seat, coffee cup dangling forgotten between his knees. The injured had been taken to Kirkwall Memorial Hospital. Where Beth worked.

Something about that didn’t sit well with Garrett. It made him nervous to think how close his little sister was to the trouble. Carver was there, too, sure, but the meathead could take care of himself, and Garrett didn’t really trust him to look after Beth.

He fidgeted in his seat a moment, sneakers tapping against the tiles, fingers dancing a staccato over his coffee cup as he took another drink. He was on vacation this week. He didn’t have to be back at work until Monday. He'd been planning to spend the week camping but he couldn't in good conscience leave without checking on them. It'd cut his trip a little short, but he had time to drive out and see the situation for himself. He knew if he called, both Beth and Carver might downplay the danger to keep him from worrying and the television wasn't always accurate.

Decision made, he jumped to his feet, chucked his empty cup and headed out to the parking lot.

 

\---------

 

Forty minutes later, Garrett was cruising along the highway, his trusty boxer Shelly in the passenger seat with her head hanging out the window, ribbons of drool trailing from her open mouth. Her nub of a tail was wiggling happily but Garrett didn't share her excitement. He rarely listened to anything besides his own music but today he had disconnected his mp3 player and tuned the radio to a news station.

_"- police are issuing a statewide emergency. Experts are calling this plague an epidemic and urge everyone to exercise extreme caution. If you or a loved one start feeling unwell, stay inside your homes. Do not come to the hospitals. The increased risk .... infectio- ......... -ctors warn tha-...."_

Garrett cursed as he entered the hills surrounding Kirkwall and lost reception. Fiddling with the knobs, he tried to find another station with better signal, but got nothing but static. Maybe he should try AM. He took his eyes off the road for a second, trying to find the button to switch between AM and FM.

Shelly started barking frantically and Garrett glanced up just in time to see the wreckage of a terrible accident blocking the road. Heart seizing in his chest, every muscle in his body tensed as he stomped on the brakes and jerked the steering wheel. His truck veered to the right, nearly rolling with the speed and sharpness of the turn. There was a loud pop and the vehicle shuddered but somehow managed to stay upright. A second later, Garrett brought it to a stop, shaking and gulping air at how close that had been.

"Shit," he gasped, squeezing his eyes shut and rubbing his face with shaking hands. "Too fuckin' close."

Shoving Shelly off his lap where she'd been thrown against him and lay trembling, he rubbed her ears apologetically and craned his neck toward the accident as he fumbled to unfasten his seatbelt. Some of the vehicles were still smoking and broken glass was strewn everywhere. Pools of oil and coolant were visible beneath a few, the twisted metal making it impossible to get an accurate count of how many cars had been involved. There was no sign of movement save the edge of a blanket hanging out of a broken window fluttering fitfully in the breeze.

Garrett pushed his door open slowly, every sense on high alert. "Stay," he told Shelly firmly when she whimpered. Something about this felt wrong. Surely someone had survived. What had caused this wreck and where were the emergency personnel? Judging by the drying chemicals on the asphalt, this accident hadn't just happened. Time enough for responders to reach the scene.

Glancing back at his truck, he sighed. The rear driver's side tire had blown out when the truck almost rolled. He was damn lucky he'd been able to maintain control of the vehicle. Grateful he'd replaced the spare in time for this camping trip, he turned back to the mangled cars and approached on cautious feet.

"Hello?" He held his breath, listening for any response and heard only the wind whistling along the narrow corridor for answer. "Is anyone still alive?" He bent down to peer inside the nearest car, bracing himself for what he might find.

Empty.

_What the hell...?_

"Where the hell is everyone?" Even if paramedics had taken away the injured, there would be cops directing traffic and clean up crew. But there was nothing. No cops, no EMTs, no signs or warning flares on the road. No people. If Shelly hadn't started barking, he would've joined the pile of mangled vehicles. What was going on?

Fishing his phone out of his pocket, he tried to dial 911 but a quick glance showed him he had no signal. Sighing, he held his phone up as he walked, hoping he might hit a sweet spot to get a call through while he kept searching. "Hello?" he yelled again, skirting round the edge of the nearest cars.

The wreck spilled across both sides of the four lane highway. From what he could make out, it stretched into the mouth of the tunnel up ahead. It looked like a bus had overturned just inside, thoroughly blocking the roadway.

"Fuckin' lovely," he growled to himself, then froze when he heard a tight squeal of scraping metal shatter the stillness. It had come from his left, where the cars were piled most densely.

"HELLO?" He tucked his phone away and ran toward the noise. There was sudden movement and a flash of orange and Garrett had the wind knocked out of him as he became intimately acquainted with the pavement, his left arm wrenched painfully behind his back and what felt like a boot pressed against his neck. "Hey, what the fuck-?" He twisted his neck, trying to see who had pinned him down.

"Are you one of them?" A distinctly feminine voice snarled from above him and he felt something cold and circular press against his temple. He went very still, heart pounding.

"Am I one of what?" he asked cautiously. He felt it best to be polite to someone who had a gun pressed to your head.

"Have you been _bitten_?" His assailant chewed up the words and spat them out, causing Garrett to flinch.

"Bitten? By what? What the hell are you talking about?" _What the fuck was going on?_

There was silence above him and he began to get very uncomfortable, the hot ground burning his skin and through the fabric of his shirt. He could feel a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead, slithering its way between his eyebrows and down his nose. He dared not move to wipe it away.

Finally, the pressure eased up and the woman moved back. Garrett was slow to push to his feet, not wanting to make any sudden movements and set her off. Grimacing as he rolled his wrenched shoulder, he got a look at her for the first time.

She was nearly as tall as he was and built sturdy, with broad shoulders and a square jaw that told him she didn't put up with a lot of shit from anyone. The flash of orange he'd seen had been her hair, pulled back in a loose ponytail. She wore a tan flannel button down shirt that her arms threatened to burst though and dark blue jeans. She had a few scrapes and bruises on her arms and a cut high on her left cheek that was still bleeding.

As Garrett watched, she tucked a small pistol into a holster hanging at her hip. So it had been a gun pressed against his temple.

"What the fuck's your problem?" he demanded, keeping out of arm's reach this time.

"Keep your voice down." It wasn't a suggestion, and her brilliant green eyes scanned the surrounding area in a way that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. She started walking and he followed after her, confused.

"Hey! Are you gonna tell me what the hell's going on?"

She spun around and clapped her hand over his mouth before he could back away, her fierce gaze inches from his own. "Keep. Your. Voice. Down." She waited until he nodded understanding before pulling her hand away. "Help me get my husband out of the car and I'll explain everything. He was pinned when we wrecked." She stalked away from him again and this time he moved to her side.

"Av-aveline?" A weak voice called from nearby. The tough woman's face softened and she hurried to an overturned car where a dark-haired man was trapped on the crushed driver's side. He was pale from loss of blood and appeared to be having difficulties remaining conscious.

"I'm here, Wesley." It was impossible that that gentle tone could possibly have belonged to the same woman who'd been barking at Garrett moments ago. "Just lie still. We're going to get you out of here."

Garrett noticed there was a great deal of blood on the ground near the car and a smear of it went off to the right as if something had been dragged away. He thought he could just make out a pair of sneakers sticking out from around a truck on its side.

"Uh, was there anyone else in the car with you?" Garrett asked, staring at the swath of blood and shoes, a sick feeling in his gut.

"No," Aveline said and her tone was brittle. "Help me with Wesley and I'll explain." She got to her feet, bracing one boot against the side of her car, taking hold of the handle and pulling. There was a repeat of the metal squeal Garrett had heard earlier as the door tried to open but budged only an inch before it caught against the warped frame.

Garrett hesitantly stepped up beside her and hooked his fingers into the window and yanked as hard as he could. For a moment, nothing happened and he felt the strain through his arms and back. Then Aveline got a better grip on the door and pulled with him.

The door came free with a deafening screech and the orange-haired woman turned whiter than her husband. " _Shit_! We have to hurry." There was real panic in her eyes as she bent to fumble with her husband's seatbelt. Wesley groaned a complaint but was clearly too gone to offer assistance.

"We probably shouldn't move him," Garrett said hesitantly. Who knew what sort of internal injuries he might have.

"Shut it!" Aveline said, growing frustrated with the seatbelt. "If those things come back- shit, I need to cut this." She kept casting wary glances over her shoulder as she fought with it.

Uneasy, Garrett too glanced where she was looking as he handed her his pocket knife. "Here, it's really sharp, I use it for camping. What might come back? Is all this because of those... infected people?"

"Yes." Her jaw clenched as she snapped open his knife and leaned in to slice the seatbelt. "They swarmed the roadway, with no concern for their own safety. We saw people get dragged out of the wreck and hauled away screaming. They were _eating_ them."

Garrett laughed, incredulous, until her glare made him swallow it. No, she didn't look like the type of woman to make jokes, on second thought. Well, that explained why no one was around and her urgency. He knelt beside her, helping support Wesley's weight when the seatbelt fell apart. The man was coherent enough to help them as they half pulled, half dragged him free.

"One attacked our car," Wesley said, pale and breathless as he leaned on the side of the vehicle, smiling gratefully for his wife's support. He pressed his hand against a bloody patch on his right side, but it was impossible to tell how bad it was. "Aveline shot it when it grabbed hold of me."

"Fortunately the others were too preoccupied with eating," Aveline added grimly, handing Garrett his knife back. "We need to get out of here and Wesley needs a doctor."

Something scraped on the ground nearby and the three of them froze, holding their breath as they waited for a repeat of the sound.

"My truck's not far but I blew a tire," Garrett whispered, his eyes on the direction of the sound. "I was heading in to town to check on my sister. She's a nurse."

Aveline and Wesley exchanged a glance and the woman gave a grim nod. Without another word, she pulled Wesley's arm over her shoulder, drawing her gun in her free hand and Garrett turned to lead the way. His breath sounded harsh and uneven in his own hears and each footstep too loud by far.

Everything felt surreal. This wasn't happening. This _couldn't_ be happening. Shit like this didn't happen, except in the movies.

There was another scrape and a ragged moan whistled through the air, turning Garrett's blood to ice. Then another, and another. He looked back at Aveline, willing the two to get a move on. Even moving stealthily, he was quickly outpacing them. He considered going on ahead to start changing the tire but if those things attacked, they'd be in trouble.

... for that matter, what did he think he was going to do? Slash them with his little pocket knife? He began looking around for something he could use as a weapon since he doubted Aveline would trust him with hers.

A loud wheezing rattle started up behind them, quickly joined by others and Garrett glanced back to get his first look at the infected.

The woman's clothing was filthy and torn, blood smearing her forearms and one side of her face. She walked with a limping gait, ignoring the fact that one of her ankles was twisted to the side. Jaw slack to regurgitate another horrific moan, her glassy eyes were fixed unerringly on the three of them. For the moment, she was alone but Garrett could hear more coming.

" _Shit_ , hurry it up," he growled to Aveline. This one wasn't moving fast but Garrett suspected it was a result of her injured leg. There was no telling how quickly the others might be gaining.

Aveline risked a glance over her shoulder and swore. "Come on, Wesley. We've got to move."

Garrett moved to help her but the injured man stumbled and sagged to the ground, nearly dragging his wife with him.

"Just... Go on without me..." he panted, his skin pale and bloodless.

"I'm not leaving you," Aveline growled, trying to pull him back to his feet.

"We don't have time for this," Garrett hedged nervously, his eyes on the approaching figure. It was terrifying how her attention never shifted from them, her pace never faltering. It was obvious there was nothing behind her empty gaze, no rationality, no coherent thought, just mindless drive forward.

"You have to..." Wesley pushed Aveline's hands away. "I didn't tell you, but... I got bitten. The one that attacked the car, before you killed it..."

"No," Aveline shook her head, voice thick with tears. "I can't... There has to be something..."

_Fuck_ , Garrett thought, numb as he tried to focus on anything but the heartbreaking conversation beside him. Two more had come into sight and he spotted a third climbing over the wreckage. Glancing to the side, he spotted a tail pipe that had broken loose from a motorcycle. It would make for an awkward club but it was better than nothing.

He dove toward it, yelping at finding it still hot, but there was no time. The infected woman closed the distance between them with a surprising burst of speed and he only had time to react, swinging the makeshift weapon upward as hard as he could. The metal connected with her jaw and snapped her head back with a wet crunch. She staggered back and dropped to her knees, hands reaching out blindly, and then she toppled over and fell still.

"Oh fuck!" Garrett gasped, dropping the pipe and backing away. He'd just _killed_ someone, nevermind that she very probably intended to kill him. "Fuck, fuck, _fuck_."

There was the sound of a gunshot behind him and he flinched, then two more and the other approaching infected dropped. A hand latched around Garrett's forearm and Aveline yanked him backward, her expression grim, jaw set with pain she refused to fall prey to.

Beset by his own frantic thoughts, Garrett didn't question her. He just turned and ran. The third infected had cleared the wreckage and was coming toward them, more voices rising up in answer to the noise of the gunshots.

Aveline kept pace beside him, checking her clip and then her pockets. "You change the tire. I'll keep them off you."

They skidded around the last overturned car and there was his truck, looking decidedly mundane after everything Garrett had witnessed since leaving it only minutes before. Shelly was sitting patiently in the driver's seat but as soon as she saw Garrett, she started barking, her entire body vibrating.

"Shut up, Shell," Garrett gasped, flinging the door open and reaching behind the seat for the jack, tire iron, and the tool that would lower the spare. The dog tried to jump out, frantic as she sensed the fear on the two humans, but Garrett snagged her collar and shoved her back inside. "No you don't. Stay put."

He risked another glance and saw Aveline had taken up a position behind the nearest car on its side, lips pressed together in a thin line as she reloaded her weapon. The noise of the infected was still distant but gaining. Not wasting any more time, Garrett loosened the lug nuts on his ruined tire then jacked up the truck before taking off the whole wheel. He tossed it in the bed of the truck with his camping gear and hurried to the rear of his vehicle, hands fumbling to get the tool in the slot when he heard Aveline fire the first shot.

He knew from past experience that he could change a tire in fifteen minutes but right now they didn't have that kind of time. Breath rasping heavily in his ears, his sweat-slippery hands struggled for purchase on the metal rod. "Get in the fucking slot," he growled at it, jamming it in hard. Another gunshot. Setting his jaw, he started turning the tool and the spare started to drop free at a snail's pace.

Never in all of existence had anything ever moved so slow.

"Hurry it up!" Aveline yelled, sighting down her gun and squeezing the trigger again.

"I'm trying!" Garrett snarled back. The tire finally swung free and he ducked under the bumper to get it when a bloody hand grabbed his arm. "Ah, fuck!" Garrett squealed in fright and just reacted, swinging the tool behind him and sending the infected reeling back with the blow. He could hear Shelly barking herself hoarse and scrabbling at the window with her paws.  

"Aveline!" He yelled but saw the redhead dealing with a pair of her own. He struck at the one that had snuck up on him, knocking it to the ground and bludgeoning it until it stopped twitching.

Shaking, he checked to make sure there were no more and that Aveline was alright then yanked the spare off, not bothering to reel the cord back up. He wasn't wasting the time putting the ruined tire back underneath the truck so it could just dangle for a while. Diving back around the truck, he spat out every curse he'd ever heard and even invented some new ones as he tried to get the tire onto the bolts. Finally getting it settled, he wasted no time spinning the bolts on and tightening them in a criss-cross pattern to endure the wheel was balanced. The last thing they'd need would be for the wheel to come off while they were making a getaway and leave them stranded.

"Hey, what's-your-name!" Aveline shouted. "Are you about done?"

Garrett dropped the jack and the truck settled back onto all fours. "Get in!" He tightened the lug nuts one last time and then dove into the driver's seat. Shelly cowered in the backseat, still barking furiously as more infected came into sight. "Christ, how many are there?" Garrett demanded, starting the truck as Aveline jumped in on the passenger side.

"Too damn many," she pronounced in a dark tone.

Garrett slammed it into reverse and whipped a u-turn, heading back the way he’d come and away from the blasted horde.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrett and Aveline reach Kirkwall and Garrett finally finds his sister.

It was getting dark by the time they finally reached the outskirts of Kirkwall. Doubling back and detouring around the blocked tunnel had taken most of the afternoon. Inside the cab of the truck, it was silent, Garrett and Aveline each lost in their own thoughts. Tuckered out, Shelly was asleep with her head on the center console, drooling on Garrett’s elbow. Garrett had left the radio on, hoping for any news, but it was just static and eventually he’d turned it down until it was just white noise in the background.

He couldn’t get over everything that had happened since he’d left the house this morning. All packed and ready to spend a week away from the comforts of modern technology and here he was trapped in something out of a Romero film, cursing that very same technology for failing him. No news on the radio, no calls to his sister getting through. He'd even broken down and tried to call Carver. Nothing but busy signals.

Aveline, it turned out, was a police officer and she'd tried to reach her precinct to the same result. The signals were jammed. Undoubtedly everyone was doing the same thing, trying to reach loved ones or help for emergency situations. It was unbelievable how fast the situation had deteriorated.

Aveline had had access to more information than Garrett had, naturally. The police had been called in to handle several attacks already. Though medical professionals were stumped as to what had initially caused the mysterious infection, they had determined it spread quickly through bodily fluids. Blood, saliva, sexual intercourse. Incubation time seemed at present to last a couple of days, with symptoms manifesting early on as feeling generally unwell and a slight fever. It moved into a delirium and then the victim became violent, attacking anyone with the misfortune of being nearby.

Anyone that got infected inevitably turned. Nothing had been found to halt or even slow the spread of the infection. And it seemed to have originated in Kirkwall.

They passed a lot of traffic heading out of the city but no one heading in. Apparently they were the only ones stupid enough to be heading _into_ the danger. Garrett wondered if his siblings might already be in that endless stream of traffic and he'd missed them. And with no way to reach them via phone, he had no way of knowing, let alone finding them. Part of him hoped they were because at least they’d be getting away from a crowded, dangerous area. On the other hand, it meant it’d be nearly impossible to reconnect with them if they couldn’t reach each other.

He knew Bethany though. She had a kind heart and a stubborn mind. He suspected she was likely still at the hospital, wanting to help as many people as she could. He just hoped that kind heart didn’t get her killed.

When they finally made it into the city proper, it looked almost deserted. Garrett slowed down and he and Aveline stared out of the windows in amazement. Buildings lining the road had been boarded up, broken glass everywhere, and there were even abandoned cars littering the streets. The few people they saw were bundled up, their motions furtive as they hurried from one place to the next, and the red pickup truck heading deeper into the city earned more than one wary stare.

“How did it get this bad so quickly?” Aveline breathed, staring in disbelief. “I just spoke to the police chief in this town this morning. He said they had everything under control.”

“Doesn’t look like ‘under control’ to me,” Garrett snorted as they passed yet another silent intersection. “Looks like a fucking ghost town.”

“The police station’s just down the next right. Can you drop me off?"

Garrett glanced over at the redhead. “You still want to do that? What if there’s no one there?”

“I might be able to find out something,” she said, not looking at him. “And they’ll have radios.”

Garrett sighed and took the next turn. “Alright, but if you don’t find anything… I’ll be at the hospital. It’s two blocks up. I can try to swing back this way and see if-”

“I’ll be fine,” she cut him off. “Thanks for your help but I can take care of myself.”

_Yeah_ , Garrett thought, _I’ve seen that for myself_. “Okay,” was all he said as he pulled to a stop in front of the Kirkwall Police Station. It looked marginally less abandoned than the shops they’d passed, by virtue of having some lights on and windows intact. Whether or not anyone was inside, however, remained to be seen.

There was a moment of silence and then Aveline opened the door and began to get out.

“Aveline, wait.” Garrett reached across the space and caught her arm. At her sharp look, he quickly withdrew his hand and held it up peaceably. “I’m… sorry about Wesley.”

Her suspicious expression faded to a completely neutral mask. “Thanks,” she said shortly, and slammed the door shut before he could say another word.

_Well_ , he reflected to himself, _she probably didn’t appreciate another reminder of her loss. Great job, Garret_ t.

He waited until she got inside the doors of the police station and then he pulled away, heading for the hospital. It felt strange to be so worried about someone he'd just met a few hours ago, but they'd been through some shit together. That kind of thing builds a connection. Besides, she had a gun and that was pretty fucking handy in a situation like this.

In the two blocks to Kirkwall Memorial, he finally started to see real signs of life. The buildings weren't in any better condition but there were cars lining the streets and people streaming toward the hospital on foot. A lot of them looked injured, some covered in blood, others helping limping companions onward. The bloody ones received a wide berth but so far no one seemed to be attacking anyone. Garrett guessed they hadn't gotten the memo to avoid the hospitals.

He got lucky and caught an empty space in the parking lot just as someone was leaving. He shut off the engine and stared up at the building with apprehension. He hoped Bethany was in there and that he could find her. In his rearview, he could see the lines of people making their way toward ER. _Shit, what a mess_.

Getting out of the truck, he let Shelly out for a brief potty break on a nearby patch of grass and gave her some water, then put her back in the truck. "Be a good girl and guard the truck, okay?" he told the dog, rubbing her ears and accepting a slobbery kiss from her. "Sorry this week was supposed to be more fun."

Turning away from the truck, he made his way up to the front entrance, having to push his way through crowds of people just sitting around outside, waiting their turn to be seen by medical professionals. There were a few nurses and orderlies moving among them, taking stock of injuries so the most critical cases could be attended first. The sight of them all out there made Garrett uneasy, his mind going back to events at the scene of the accident.

He shuddered and quickly pushed those thoughts away. He didn't have time right now to dwell on that. Not until he knew if his brother and sister were safe.

Not seeing Beth among the med staff outside, he went in through a wide pair of sliding glass doors where he was immediately stopped by a harried-looking security guard.

"Look, if you're able to walk and you're not coughing up blood, you're gonna have to wait your turn."

"Uh, I'm not here for treatment," Garrett said quickly. "I'm looking for my sister. She's a nurse here. Bethany Hawke?"

The guard looked irritated and started to tell Garrett to come back later until he heard the name. "You're Beth's brother?" At Garrett's nod, he hooked a thumb over his shoulder down the hall. "Check at the nurse's station."

"Thanks, man." The guard didn't reply, turning to stop a couple that was trying to make it through, emboldened by Garrett's apparent success. Not waiting to hear the no doubt heartbreaking tale, Garrett padded on down the hall, his sneakers tapping against the cool linoleum flooring.

The waiting rooms and hallways were filled with people, families huddled together and crying, patients in beds pushed into whatever spare bit of space could be found, staff running to and fro in their scrubs. The noise was cacophony and the tension felt heavy in the air, pressing down like a tangible force. Garrett tried to shake it off, but he was again reminded of what had happened earlier. Those infected people. The mindless hunger in their eyes. How viciously they'd attacked.

And Garrett had killed two of them.

They had been people. _Real_ people with hopes and dreams and families, just like him. It wasn't their fault they'd been infected. They'd just been going about their lives and boom. Everything changed.

It made him feel sick, nevermind he'd only been acting in self-defense. He still had to live with what he'd done. And from the look of things, it was only going to get worse.

Pushing down his emotions, he cleared the hall and found the nurse's station. It was a flurry of activity, nurses and doctors racing to drop off charts and head to their next patient, shouting information to one another in terse, clipped speech. A pair of nurses were at one end of the counter trying to placate an angry crowd that was demanding answers.

"My son's got a broken arm! When is a doctor going to see him?"

"My wife was taken back for emergency surgery hours ago. What's going on? When can I see her?"

"We've been waiting all day to get in. My father's fever is getting worse..."

They all talked over one another, each caught in the thrall of their fear, the suffering of their own loved ones paramount in their minds. It was obvious the nurses were losing their patience.

"Sir, a broken arm is incredibly low priority right now. The doctors will see to your son when they have a chance but you will need to wait your turn."

"Ma'am, if you give me your wife's name, I can check on her status, but you'll have to wait a few moments."

"How long has your father had a fever? Has anyone else been sick?"

Garrett hung back, watching the chaos for a few minutes, half tempted to simply start scouring the hospital on his own. Unfortunately, the hospital was a big place and in this confusion, there was a good chance he'd miss her. She could be anywhere. But if she was working, and judging from the amount of people needing help, it was a safe bet all staff had been called in and were working overtime, then the odds were good that sooner or later Bethany would pass by the nurse's station. He just had to be patient.

He found an empty patch of wall, stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned back to wait.

 

\----

 

"Garrett?!"

He startled awake, hands balling into fists in instinctive reaction to the keyed up nerves of the day and blinked at the short, plump brunette staring up at him.

"Beth!" he gasped, crushing his sister against him with relief. "You're alright!"

She sighed, clinging to him for a moment before pulling away. "Are _you_ alright? What are you doing here?" She looked exhausted, deep shadows under her eyes and her dark curls were a mess. She looked like she hadn't slept in days and a pencil was stuck in her hair, presumably forgotten.

"I had to make sure you and Carver were okay. The news said a lot of the victims were being brought here and then I couldn't get through on the phones..." He scrubbed his hands through his hair, agitated.

"What'd you do to your hands?" Bethany grabbed his arm and looked at his palm. The skin was an angry, shiny red. As soon as she called attention to them, both hands started to sting something fierce.

"Shit, I burned them on an exhaust pipe earlier."

"And you haven't put anything on it since then?" She scowled at him and dragged him down the hall. "Come on."

"I was a little busy," he growled in response to her scolding.

Beth pushed him into an empty exam room and began rummaging through the cupboards. "We're getting low on a lot of supplies," she murmured worriedly, pulling out some sterile bandages and a tube of cream. "Here, let's rinse your hands first. It doesn't look too bad but burns get infected really easily. How long ago did this happen?"

"A few hours," Garrett said, sticking his hands under the tap. The cool water brought instant relief and he sighed. "I didn't even realize I got burned."

"How did you not notice for hours?" his sister demanded, staring up at him with a shrewd glint in her eyes. She always knew when he wasn't telling her everything.

Garrett refused to meet her eyes. The last thing he wanted to tell her was that he'd killed people on the way here. There were some things you didn't want to share with your loved ones. "Look, Beth... How much do you know of what's going on out there? Have you been around any of the attack victims?"

She frowned at him and got a clean cloth to dry his hands with gentle pats. "I've seen a few come in but they were taken to ER. I haven't been near them and we've been a little too busy to listen to the news. I've heard a few patients say people are evacuating the city but I'm sure they're just overrea-" She cut off at the look on Garrett's face. "...what?"

He sighed and shook his head, wincing as she rubbed a cream across his palms and then began wrapping them up. “Look, Beth… they’re not exaggerating. It’s really bad out there and getting worse, _fast_. We should get out of here. Kirkwall already looks like a ghost town and the traffic heading out is terrible.” He saw the shadows of denial already crossing her face as she turned to put away the unused supplies. He grabbed her shoulder, turning her to face him. “Beth, I talked to an officer on the way here. Anyone who’s been bitten turns into one of those _things_. If there are some in the hospital, we have to get out of here. Before it’s too late.”

His sister pulled free and stared at him. “Garrett, what are you talking about? What do you think is going to happen? We have security watching those people. We have an obligation to try to help people. I can’t leave.”

He understood why she felt that way, but frustration got the better of him and he snapped. She hadn't been out there. She hadn't seen what he'd seen. “Damn it, Beth, those things are killing people! We’re getting out of he-”

Shouting started down the hall and Garrett whipped toward the sound, shoving Bethany behind him. People ran past the partially closed door and Garrett pressed himself against the wall, peeking out into the hallway. The nurses station had been abandoned, more voices raised angrily in the distance. The sounds of people running.

Up and down the hall, a few doors opened, nurses and patients looking out curiously.

“What’s happening?”

"Oh Maker, they're here!" one woman said in a high, panicked voice.

“Please stay in your rooms and try to remain calm,” a nurse advised people as he started down the hallway. “I’ll find out what the trouble is.”

Bethany started to squeeze past Garrett, angry that he was preventing her from helping if she was needed and he caught her arm in a tight grip, gritting his teeth against the pain. “Beth, please.” When she tried to pull away from him, he said quickly, “I was attacked by some infected earlier. That’s how I got burned. There was a bad accident out on the Wounded Coast highway. I stopped to help people and we got attacked. I grabbed an exhaust pipe and fought them off. I’m begging you. Don’t go out there.”

His sister was staring at him in disbelief but she wasn’t trying to pull away anymore. “Oh Maker, Garrett… you’re _serious_?” At his nod, she shook her head, not in denial but stunned shock. There was a crash down the hallway and they both jumped. Then the screams started and pandemonium broke out.

Doors banged open and people began running, adding to the noise and confusion. Everyone trying to get to the exits. Some slammed the doors shut and locked themselves inside. Somewhere, a person started crying. People were yelling for their spouses, for their children.

“ _Garrett_ ,” Bethany whispered, pressed against his side and staring past him through the crack in the door. He could feel her shaking and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“We’ll be okay. We’ll be okay,” he reassured her. They just had to wait for the crowds to thin out. He wasn’t going to risk getting near an infected person by going out in the crush of panicked bodies. In the confusion, it’d be impossible to protect themselves. He wished he’d thought to bring his tire iron inside.

The screaming grew louder and there was a commotion down at the hallway crossing near the nurses station. Not waiting to find out what was happening, Garrett slammed the door shut, noticing as he did that it had no lock. "Shit!" He looked around for something to barricade the door with but there was only one chair that was far too light and the exam table was built into the floor.

"Fuck!" They were trapped, if anything tried to get in. "Is there anything in here we can use as a weapon?"

"I don't think so." Bethany opened all the cupboards and drawers but came up with nothing more threatening than tongue depressors. "Maker, this isn't happening... Garrett what should we do?" Her eyes turned toward him, large and afraid.

Garrett pressed his ear to the door, motioning for her to be quiet as he tried to make sense of the sounds. The yelling was growing more distant and outside in the hallway he heard running footsteps and heavy breathing heading away. Up the hall in the opposite direction, there was another crash followed by a feral snarl and high-pitched screaming then a sudden silence.

Garrett swallowed, feeling as though he might be sick. Bethany had backed into the corner and was staring at the door in horror. A few minutes later, there was a dragging noise and erratic footsteps. It paused near their door and Garrett thought he might choke on his own terror. Silently, he pushed all of his weight against the door and braced his feet on the counter and the corner of the exam table.

Something pushed heavily at the door, ignoring the handle. It didn't move. The thing battered at the door again and Bethany jumped, her hands pressed over her mouth. She scooted across the floor and helped Garrett brace the door shut, the two of them hardly daring to breathe. The thing outside was getting angry, snarling its irritation as it began pounding on the door.

Bethany had tears in her eyes and Garrett was praying to every deity he had ever heard of when there was a shout and the battering stopped. They heard it start moving away, slowly at first, and then faster, slavering eagerly. A tinkling of broken glass and what sounded like an explosion. The two siblings stared at each other, wondering if the danger had passed.

Someone pounded on the door and Garrett yelped before he could stop himself.

"If you're alive in there, come on out. We gotta hurry!" 


	3. Chapter 3

_"If you're alive in there, come on out. We gotta hurry!"_

Beth darted across the small exam room and pressed her back against the far wall, putting the table between herself and the door. Garrett waited until she was in place before turning and cracking it open just a hair.

Outside was a tall, thin man dressed in scrubs and a white doctor's coat, one corner singed black. His blond hair had been pulled back in a ponytail but wisps had escaped to fall around his stubbled face. Amber eyes were sunk deep in the sockets, shadowed darkly with exhaustion and they kept darting nervous glances up and down the hall. He was holding a metal cane in his hands as if he meant to bash in heads with it and he had a satchel slung over one shoulder that clinked when he moved.

When Garrett opened the door, the doctor's gaze fixed on him intently. "Are you alright? Are you hurt? Bitten?"

Garrett shook his head and also glanced into the hallway. Something was on fire at one end, the smell of burning meat filling the air. The other direction was completely empty, save for overturned chairs, gurneys, and a few discarded items of clothing.

"No, no. We're both fine." He opened the door wider and he and Bethany stepped out of the exam room, wary and ready to run. “I’m Garrett, this is Beth. And uh... Thanks.”

The stranger looked them both over, confirming Garrett's words, then froze, motioning toward Garrett's bandaged hand. "What happened there?" He didn't relax his grip on the cane. Garrett realized the doctor intended to protect himself with violence if necessary. He shifted closer to Bethany and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Hey man, it's fine. I burned my hand, I didn't get bitten by one of those things, I swear."

The blond stared hard at Garrett for a few moments before a noise down the hall drew his attention. He lowered his makeshift weapon and motioned for them to follow. "I'm Anders. Or Dr. Grey. Whatever you prefer. Nurse?" he asked, looking to Bethany and she nodded. "Good, that'll be useful," he said cryptically, turning back toward the burning end of the hallway. "Come on. We need to get out of here."

Beth and Garrett exchanged a glance and then started after him. It wasn't like they had a better plan at this point. They skirted warily around the burning body but the doctor didn't even glance at it, hurrying past with long, ground-eating strides.

Compared to the noise of only a few minutes ago, the halls they passed through were now eerily silent, their footsteps echoing in the empty corridors. Bethany hung close to Garrett, her eyes turning in all directions, every line of her body tense.

"How'd they clear this place out so fast?" Garrett asked in a hushed whisper as they moved deeper into the hospital, passing rows of empty rooms.

"Because they finally listened to me and started evacuating long-term patients," Anders replied without looking at Garrett. "The only people still here were people who'd arrived in the last couple days. Minor injuries, emergencies, etcetera." He shook his head, regret clouding his face for a moment. "I tried to get them to close down the hospital completely but-"

"But most of the staff fought against it," Bethany supplied quietly. "We thought we could still help people."

"Yes, that paid off _so_ well," Dr. Grey snapped, taking the next right and continuing on as though he had a specific destination in mind.

Beth gasped and stared at the doctor, tears filling her eyes and Garrett put his arm around her again.

"Hey! Lay the fuck off, buddy," he growled in her defense. "It's not like anybody could have seen this coming."

"Bullshit," the blond said. "I'd been warning them for weeks. It's standard quarantine procedure. Isolate the infected, close down the facility. No one else in or out. But they kept the doors open for days, welcoming people in. They didn't think the attacks were the result of a disease at first and now who knows how many may be infected. How many more are dead instead of safely away from here." He sounded tired, now. Weary.

"What about that oath to do no harm, huh? Don't you doctors have an obligation to help people?" Garrett decided he didn't like this guy, not one bit.

The doctor whirled on Garrett and the large brunet actually took a step back from the slender man. "I do," he snapped. "But sometimes that means making difficult calls to sacrifice a few if it means saving the rest of humanity."

"Who died and made you Maker?"

The blond twitched and turned away, stalking off. Bethany put a hand on Garrett’s arm and shook her head when he opened his mouth to argue. Sighing, he reluctantly closed it again and they resumed following the doctor through the empty halls.

“Where are we going?” Bethany asked after several minutes had passed in silence.

“Outside,” Anders replied. “This facility has been compromised and we need to move to a safer location. I’m just hoping to circumvent the mess at the front entrance.”

“Why should we go anywhere with you?” Garrett demanded, his voice rising in irritation. “I-”

There was a distant crash and a snarl, then footsteps heading their direction. A lot of footsteps. _Fast_.

“Shit,” Dr. Grey swore. “You don’t have to,” he agreed with Garrett as they started moving more quickly. “But I think I’m close to figuring out a cure for this thing and I could use your help. Especially hers.” When Garrett looked as though he might object, he added, “Call it repayment for saving your lives back there.”

“Son of a bitch,” Garrett muttered. He didn’t want to owe this guy anything. He just wanted to get his siblings and get out of this shithole city. “Fine, but we still need to make sure our brother’s alright before we leave Kirkwall. The ass will probably get himself killed if left to his own devices.”

Anders’ lips pressed together in a thin line but he didn’t argue. “Through here,” he said, motioning for them to duck into a darkened ward.

The footsteps and growls were getting louder but the infected still hadn’t come into sight yet. Garrett dared hope they might be able to lose the creatures. He didn’t think he could stomach anymore killing today.

They passed through into a smaller room, all the lights off, and Dr. Grey motioned for them to hide. He took up a position near the open door, bending to lean his cane against the wall and reach into his satchel. He withdrew a glass bottle of some sort, the liquid inside catching what little light came through from the distant hallway.

Garrett really wished he had some kind of weapon as well. He hated feeling this helpless, forced to rely on this jackass of a doctor. Once the immediate danger passed, maybe he could find something. There had to be shit in the hospital he could use.

A loud wheezing snarl from the lit hallway drew his attention and Bethany silently huddled closer to him. The creatures were distant, moving in a shambling, lurching mass as they wandered in search of prey. Some of them looked almost normal, save for the hunched, shuffling gait, and even at this distance, Garrett could make out the same vacant, dead-eyed stare he'd noticed in the infected on the highway. Others of the pack looked much worse, their skin bloodied, their clothing torn. One was missing an arm completely and trailing blood behind itself without concern for the loss of precious fluid.

The trio in hiding collectively held their breath, waiting to see if they would be hunted into the dark, but it seemed whatever deity resided above was feeling merciful and the group of infected passed on without investigating the darkened ward they hid in. Long minutes passed before any of them even thought of moving. Minutes more passed before anyone actually did move and it was Anders who took the first steps, checking to make sure the infected were truly gone before coming back for the others.

"It's clear for now but we should take a different route," he whispered, putting the glass flask back in his bag and picking up his cane/club again.

"What is that stuff?" Garrett asked, motioning toward the satchel.

"Chemicals. Highly flammable," the doctor replied. Sizing the two of them up, he unconsciously voiced Garrett's previous thoughts. "We should get the two of you some weapons. And it wouldn't be a bad idea to stock up on some first aid supplies. With how rapidly this is spreading, who knows when we'll have another chance." Sorrow spread across his long features and he turned away. "Come on. There's some surgery supplies stored nearby. Some of the bigger tools will work for weapons."

That sounded promising and Garrett couldn't argue with the logic. He glanced at Bethany to make sure she was alright and was met with a grim, resolute stare. Whatever happened, they were in this together.

Anders led them deeper into the darkness, their pace slowed significantly by relying on the flashlight the doctor pulled out of his bag instead of overhead lights but none were willing to complain after what they'd already seen. Garrett was particularly careful where he put his feet after he kicked an overturned surgery cart and they all froze as the screech of metal echoed through the empty ward. He was certain his heart stopped completely in the silence that followed, each of them hardly daring to breathe as they listened for any sound of pursuit. When none came, the doctor shot Garrett an accusing look that made the brunet grit his teeth. Like he'd done that on purpose, endangering not only his own life but his sister's. _Geez, what a dick._

Finally, Anders led them to a small room at the end of a hallway that didn't look like much. In fact, it was almost bizarrely mundane after the things Garrett had witnessed during the day, even in the dim, fitful glow of the flashlight. Just boring cabinets and drawers lining the walls. Each one was labeled but Garrett couldn't make them out in the darkness.

"This is where they store surgical tools," the doctor explained, keeping an eye on the way they'd come. They'd be trapped if anything came after them down here. "Look for some of the heavier instruments. They might not be ideal but better than being unarmed. And hurry. I'd rather not get cornered."

Bethany stepped inside and began pulling open drawers, dismissing the smaller tools and moving to the next in a methodical fashion. Garrett started on the other side, flinging open cabinets and rifling quickly through the tools inside. Saws for cutting through bone, scalpels, hooks, massive hammers whose purpose Garrett didn't even want to guess. What mattered was they'd work damn well if one of those _things_ got near.

Each tool was sealed in plastic to keep it sterilized until it was needed. He picked up one of the big hammers and tested its weight with a few swings. He would've preferred something with a longer grip but it was heavy enough to do some serious damage if anything got too close.

"What the hell is this thing for, anyway?" he asked, tearing the plastic off as quietly as possible.

Dr. Grey glanced in from the doorway. "Uh, knee surgery, I believe." Garrett shuddered and wished he hadn't asked. "Come on, we need to hurry up."

Garrett grabbed a few of the smaller scalpels and blades, as well, stuffing them into a back pocket for now until he found something to carry them in. They wouldn't be much use in a fight but he'd already had need of a sharp edge once today. Who could say what else he might need one for?

Feeling a lot better about their predicament with the comforting weight of the hammer in his hand, Garrett slipped out past the doctor to help keep watch. After a minute, Bethany joined them carrying a long tool with a sharp hook on the end. Garrett took one look at it and decided he'd made the right call in not going into the medical field.

"Where to now?" he whispered to Anders.

"This way." The tall blond started off back up the hall, then turned in a new direction. "It's too bad we don't have any backpacks or anything. We won't be able to carry as much out with us..."

The doctor trailed off as they heard a commotion ahead. A desperate scrabbling sound followed by rough, panicked breathing and a scrape of something heavy being moved across the floor. Dr. Grey immediately shut off his flashlight, leaving them in near complete darkness, save for a distant light near the end of this new hallway.

"Sounds human," Garrett whispered as he stepped up quietly beside the doctor.

"They could be hurt or need help," Beth said, but Garrett noted she didn't relax her grip on her weapon.

"Let's be careful," Anders replied, a grim set to his jaw.

The three of them advanced toward the noise, clutching their weapons in preparation of whatever they might find. Garrett's heart pounded so loud it almost drowned out the scuffling sound coming from the nearest open doorway. The sounds were growing weaker as if whoever -or _whatever_ \- was growing tired.

He reached the doorway first, putting his shoulder against the jamb and edging his head around corner to take a peek. Someone or some _thing_ had torn through the room. He guessed it had once been a small operating room but everything recognizable had been smashed or shattered and he was left trying to make sense of the twisted shapes just visible in the dark. An incessant buzz from overhead made him think the lights here had been broken rather than shut off.

Something moved in the far corner and one of the broken pieces of furniture shifted across the floor. Within the darkness, a woman began to weep softly. _Shit_.

"Hello?" Garrett called quietly.

There was a terrified gasp. "Wh-who's there?"

From the other side of the doorway, Anders flicked on his flashlight and swung it around the room. Garrett almost wished he hadn't. The destruction of the room looked even worse in the light, particularly with blood splashed across almost every surface. In the corner, an overturned metal cabinet lay half across a young nurse, her face pale and frightened as she stared at them with huge eyes. She was covered in dark, wet blood all along her left side.

Bethany rushed into the room and knelt beside the injured woman, immediately checking her vitals and the nurse wept with relief.

"Thank the Maker. I thought I was going to die alone in the dark. Please! Please, you have to help me. My leg is stuck."

"What happened?" Anders asked in the most gentle voice Garrett had yet heard the man use. _Huh. So he has feelings after all._ The doctor tried to lift the metal cabinet and Garrett moved to help him.

"Oh Maker," the woman cried, a note of hysteria creeping into her tone, "we- we were p-performing s-surgery, emergency surgery on a w-woman who'd been inj-injured in a... In a car crash. Sh-she'd been attacked. She-she was so badly injured but w-we had to try."

Garrett and Anders managed to stand the cabinet up and when the doctor leveled the flashlight again, they got a better look at the trapped nurse. Garrett thought he was going to be sick. Her right leg hadn't been trapped under the cabinet, it was gone entirely. It looked it had been torn off. She must have thought it was trapped because she couldn't feel it.

And there was blood. So much blood.

Bethany distracted the woman by holding her head and peering into her eyes, checking pupil dilation or something. Fuck if Garrett knew. He was busy trying not to throw up.

Anders swallowed visibly and knelt down beside the woman, trying to keep his coat out of the blood but not having much luck. "And then what happened?" He asked, again in that sympathetic tone of voice as he dug into his bag.

The woman started sobbing, her eyes wide and terrified. "The patient died on the table. She died. We-we were trying to... to resuscitate her." The nurse grabbed Anders' arm, smearing blood on his white coat. "She _sat up_ and grabbed the surgeon."

A feeling of dread settled over Garrett and he uneasily reached for Bethany, his eyes rolling toward all the shadows in the room. Was it still in here? Beth tried to shrug him off when he grabbed her shoulder but one look at his face had her clutching her weapon tighter and stepping away from the injured nurse. The two siblings edged toward the doorway, watching as Anders filled a syringe from a small bottle.

"Easy," Anders told the woman gently, no indication of whether or not he was alarmed by being grabbed. "You're going to be alright. I'm just going to give you something for the pain."

"She-it- _killed_ the others," the woman was crying, all of her tense energy draining from her as she sagged back against the wall, relieved someone else was taking charge. "It grabbed me but I fought it off. When the shelf fell on me..." she sniffled as Anders gently turned her arm over and pressed the needle into her skin, "it chased one of the others down the hall. I... I haven't seen anyone since..."

"Shhh, it's okay," Anders soothed, withdrawing the depleted syringe and simply casting it aside.

Garrett watched in horror, pulling Bethany close as the woman's whimpers stilled, then her eyes closed and she stopped breathing. The doctor got slowly to his feet, looking down at her with something akin to pity? Regret?

"...what did you do?" Bethany asked, staring at the blond, and Garrett could feel her trembling.

"We have to move. Quickly." Dr. Grey ushered them toward the door, shedding his bloodstained coat on the way.

" _What did you do to her?!_ " Bethany screamed, lunging for the doctor. "We could have saved her! What did you do that for?" She was sobbing and fought Garrett as he caught her and dragged her back.

Anders cast a regretful look toward Bethany but handed the flashlight to Garrett as he fumbled around in his satchel. “She had been bitten by one of those things,” the doctor explained, pulling out one of the liquid filled vials and a box of matches. “She was going to die anyway. Now, we have to move before she gets back up.”

Suddenly, the nurse’s story and what Dr. Grey was saying clicked in Garrett’s head and he yanked his sobbing sister out into the hallway, turning Bethany into his chest to try and muffle the noise. He swung the flashlight in both directions, praying nothing was drawn toward the sound.

Inside the room, there was a tinkle of broken glass and the tiny flare of a lit match. The tall blond backed toward the doorway and tossed the match inside. There was a roar of flame as the chemicals caught fire. In the distance, there was an immediate response, grunts and growls, scrambling footsteps.

“ _Move!_ ” Garrett yelled, shoving Bethany ahead of him up the hallway. The doctor’s long legs had him caught up with them both in no time, the three of them running for all they were worth. There was no point in stealth any longer. All that mattered was getting away from the fire that would draw the creatures like moths.


End file.
